Method and device for making a cargo deck

ABSTRACT

A method of making a deck for storing cargo in a shipping vehicle comprising: securing two pairs of braces to opposed surfaces associated with the shipping vehicle by engaging opposed ends of first elongated supports with the pair of braces such that each first elongated support interconnects one of the pairs of braces and extends substantially parallel to a base associated with the shipping vehicle; engaging second elongated supports with each of the braces, each second elongated support interconnecting a respective brace and the base; and positioning a decking on the first elongated supports for supporting the cargo. A brace for making the cargo deck engageable with a horizontally-extending support and a vertically-extending support.

The present invention relates generally to a method and device formaking a cargo deck in a shipping vehicle.

BACKGROUND

Cargo transported for commercial and other uses is often shipped insemi-trailers or other trucks, railcars, ships, aircraft or othershipping vehicles. Stacking of the cargo within the shipping vehicle mayprovide efficiencies, however, certain types of cargo might not bereadily stackable due to a variety of different reasons such as thenature or configuration of the cargo.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure is directed to a method and device for making acargo deck in a shipping vehicle. The method includes securing a braceto one of a pair of opposed walls or other opposed surfaces associatedwith the shipping vehicle by positioning the brace on the surface andengaging an end of a first elongated support, such as, for example, a4″×4″ wooden support, with the brace such that the first elongatedsupport extends substantially parallel to a floor or other baseassociated with the shipping vehicle; engaging a second elongatedsupport, such as, for example, a 2″×4″ wooden support, with the braceand with the floor; and positioning a decking on the first elongatedsupport.

The method also includes securing an other brace to the other of theopposed walls associated with the shipping vehicle by positioning theother brace on the other walls and engaging an other end of the firstelongated support with the other brace; and engaging an other secondelongated support with the other brace and the floor. The method alsoincludes securing an other pair of braces with an other first elongatedsupport and an other pair of second elongated supports and positioningthe decking over the other first elongated support. When the firstelongated support is positioned in place between the two braces, thefirst elongated support is in compression and thus exerts a tensile oraxial force on the braces and the walls, causing the walls to exhibitresilient properties.

The present disclosure is also directed to the brace for making thecargo deck. The brace comprises a receptacle including a receptacle walldefining a cavity for receiving the end of the first elongated supportfor securing the brace to the wall of the shipping vehicle and includinga pair of rails defining a slot for receiving an end of the secondelongated support. The pair of rails may be parallel to each other andmay extend substantially the entire height of the receptacle. The bracemay comprise a ramp for receiving the end of the elongated support intothe receptacle. The ramp may define a slot for receiving cargostrapping.

Features and advantages of the disclosure will be set forth in part inthe description which follows and the accompanying drawings describedbelow, wherein an embodiment of the disclosure is described and shown,and in part will become apparent upon examination of the followingdetailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a truck containing cargo and a cargodeck in accordance with an illustrated embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 2 is a partial, enlarged and exploded view of the cargo deck ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one of the braces of the cargo deck ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side plan view of one of the braces of the cargo deck ofFIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a front plan view of one of the braces of the cargo deck ofFIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a truck 10 containing a cargo deck 12 in accordancewith an illustrated embodiment of the present disclosure having cargo 14disposed thereon. The cargo deck 12 comprises a plurality of braces 20,a plurality of first elongated supports 22 extending horizontally, aplurality of second elongated supports 24 extending vertically, anddecking 26 supporting cargo 14 in the truck 10. The cargo deck 12 alsoincludes cargo strapping 28 for securing some or all of the cargo 14 onthe cargo deck. The illustrated truck 10 includes a pair of opposedwalls 30 and a floor 32. The braces 20 are secured to the opposed walls30 by the first elongated supports 22, and the braces 20 and decking 26are further vertically supported by the second elongated supports 24.The truck 10 can instead be in the form of any other type of shippingvehicle, including, for example, any other type of truck or any type ofrailcar, ship, aircraft or other vehicle.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the decking 26 is supported by the braces20, the two first elongated supports 22 and the four second elongatedsupports 24. The braces 20 of each pair of interconnected braces aresecured on the opposed walls 30 of the truck 10 and are interconnectedby one of the first elongated supports 22 extending above and parallelto the floor 32 of the truck. Each of the elongated supports 22 is incompression and thus exerts a tensile force on the respective pair ofbraces 22 and the opposed walls 30. Additionally, each brace 20 isfurther supported vertically by one of the elongated supports 24 whichextends from the brace to the floor 32 of the truck 10 to therebyinterconnect the brace and the floor. Thus, each pair of braces 20engages one elongated member 22, which extends horizontally; and eachbrace 20 engages one elongated member 24, which extends vertically.

The braces 20 in accordance with the present disclosure may have anysuitable construction and configuration. In the illustrated embodiment,for example, each brace 20 includes a receptacle 40 including areceptacle wall 42 that defines an open-ended cavity 44 for receivablyengaging one end of one of the first elongated supports 22. The brace 20also includes a ramp 50 leading into the open end of the cavity 44, apair of lateral flaps 52, a plurality of gussets 54 interconnecting thelateral flaps 52 and the receptacle wall 42, a wall-engaging bottomsurface 56, and an adhesive 58 disposed on the wall-engaging bottomsurface 56. The cavity 44 is sized to receive an end of an firstelongated support 22 in the form of a 4″×4″ wooden support, but thecavity may have any other size and configuration and may be sized toreceive any other type of elongated support in accordance with otherembodiments of the present disclosure. The adhesive 58 may be in theform of a two-sided tape 64 with a removable release layer 66, or may bein any other suitable form in accordance with other embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

The receptacle wall 42 includes a pair of lateral walls 70 and a basewall 72 interconnecting the lateral walls defining the open-ended cavity44. The receptacle wall 42 also includes a pair of rails 76 on the basewall opposite the cavity 44. The rails 76 extend parallel to each othersubstantially the entire height of the receptacle wall 42 and define aslot 80 for receiving an end of the second elongated support 24. Therails 76 are spaced a sufficient distance to engage the end of a secondelongated support 24 in the form of a 2″×4″ wooden support. The rails 76may have any other spacing or any other suitable construction andconfiguration suitable to engage a 2″×4″ wooden support or any othertype of elongated support in accordance with other embodiments of thepresent disclosure and may depend upon the configuration of theelongated support. Further, the slot 80 may instead have any other sizeand configuration, and may be comprised of structure other than therails 76, or may be disposed at any other location on the brace 20 inaccordance with other embodiments of the present disclosure.

The brace 20 may be constructed of plastic and have a monolithicconstruction, and may be formed by injection molding. The brace 20 maybe constructed of any suitable plastic resin or other plastic. The brace20 may be constructed by any other suitable means and may have any othersuitable monolithic or other construction in accordance with otherembodiments of the present disclosure. The decking 26 may be plywood ormay be constructed of any other suitable material depending upon thecargo being transported.

The receptacle 40 of the brace 20 also includes a pair of opposed walls90 disposed between the pair of lateral walls 70 of the receptacledefining a channel 92 therebetween. The pair of opposed walls 90 extendfrom their base to a lesser height than the lateral walls 70 of thereceptacle 40. The receptacle 40 also includes a pair of engagingsurfaces 94 which join the lateral walls 70 with the tops of the opposedwalls 90 for engaging the respective end of the first elongated support22 when it is in the receptacle 40 and which define a base of the cavity44. The walls 90 and the engaging surfaces 94 also form the ramp 50 thatextends adjacent the cavity 44 to facilitate a camming or wedgingreceipt of the end of the first elongated support 22 into the cavity andengagement between the receptacle 40 and the first elongated support 22.In addition, the receptacle 40 includes a pair of lateral ribs 96interconnecting the pair of opposed walls 90 and a central rib 98 to addstrength and rigidity to the brace 20.

The opposed walls 90 of the ramp 50 define a pair of slots 100 forreceiving the cargo strapping 28 for restraining cargo movement toprovide further cargo transportation benefits. The cargo strapping 28can be any suitable form of strapping that can be received by the slots100 to restrain some or all of the cargo 14 disposed on the cargo deck12 or disposed anywhere else in the truck 10.

The engaging surfaces 94 include lips 110 for maintaining the firstelongated support 22 in the cavity 44. The height of the opposed walls90 relative to the lateral flaps 52 is illustrated as being constantfrom the base wall 72 toward the ramp 50, and then decreases along partof the length of the ramp. The ramp 50 extends outward beyond theopposed walls 90.

The gussets 54 are spaced along the lateral walls 70 of the receptacle40 and the lateral flaps 52, providing additional structural support tothe brace 20. Each gusset 54 is joined to the lateral wall 70, and thelateral flap 52. Any other suitable numbers of gussets 54 can be used inaccordance with the present disclosure. Further, the gussets 54 may haveany other suitable structure or may even be eliminated in accordancewith other embodiments of the present disclosure.

Each brace 20 further includes tamper proofing means comprising a pairof holes 120 defined on the lateral walls 70 of the receptacle 40 and atie or cable (not shown) for interconnecting the holes 120 after theelongated support has been positioned in the receptacle 40. The tie orcable may include a clamp, or zip tie or include any other structurethat cannot be removed without being cut or destroyed. The tie or cableis secured after the elongated support 22 has been positioned inreceptacle 40 to provide tamper evident benefits. Upon arrival of thecargo, the tie or cable can be inspected and, if it has been cut orremoved prior to arrival, there is evidence that the cargo deck 10 hasbeen tampered with during shipment.

The cargo deck 12 in accordance with the present disclosure may beconstructed or otherwise made in any suitable manner. For example, onepair of braces 20 may be positioned on the opposed walls 30 with theramps 50 facing upward, and secured to the opposed walls by the adhesive58. One first elongated support 22 may be engaged with the pair ofbraces 20 by inserting opposed ends of the first elongated support 22into the cavities 44 of the receptacles 40 of the braces such that theelongated support extends above and across the floor 32 of the truck 10.The other pair of braces 20 may then be secured to the opposed walls 30in a similar manner at a distance from the first pair of braces.

When engaging the first elongated support 22 with the braces 20, thefirst elongated support 22 may be positioned relative to the braces andraised slightly vertically above the receptacles 40. The first elongatedsupport 22 is then placed adjacent one or both of the ramps 50 of thebraces 20. The first elongated support 22 is then lowered until itcontacts one or both ramps 50. After the first elongated support 22contacts one or both of the ramps 50, pressure is applied to cause thefirst elongated support to cam or wedge into one or both of the cavities44 of the pair of braces 20. Once the first elongated support 22 iswedged into place, the first elongated support is in compression andthus exerts a tensile or axial force on the braces 20 and thus the walls30 of the truck 10, causing the wall 30 to exhibit resilient properties.The result is that the braces 20 are locked firmly in place.

Before or after the first elongated supports 22 are positioned in place,one of the second elongated supports 24 is disposed between each brace20 and the floor 32 to provide further vertical support for the cargo14. The decking 26 is then disposed on the pair of first elongatedsupports 22. Any suitable cargo 14 can then be disposed on the decking26 or beneath the decking. Additionally, cargo strapping 28 can be usedto restrain cargo 14 in any suitable manner such as, for example, byengaging the cargo strapping with the slots 100 of one or more of thebraces 20, wrapping the cargo strapping around some or all of the cargo,and engaging the cargo strapping with the slots of one of the otherbraces. The tamper proofing means can also be used to provide tamperevident benefits.

The steps for making the cargo deck 12 set forth above can beaccomplished in any suitable order. Further, depending upon otherstructure within or otherwise associated with the shipping vehicle, thecargo deck 12 can be made by using more or less than four braces 20 inaccordance with other embodiments of the present disclosure. Stillfurther, although the braces 20 of the illustrated cargo deck 12 aresecured to the opposed walls 30 of the shipping vehicle, depending uponother structure within or otherwise associated with the shippingvehicle, the braces can instead be secured to any other opposed surfacesassociated with a shipping vehicle, such as other cargo or any othersecure structure in accordance with other embodiments of the presentdisclosure. Similarly, the braces 20 of the illustrated cargo deck 12are interconnected with the floor 32 of the shipping vehicle, but caninstead be interconnected with any other base associated with theshipping vehicle, such as other cargo or any other base in accordancewith other embodiments of the present disclosure.

The cargo deck 12 in accordance with the present disclosure providesmany advantages. For example, cargo 14 can be stacked on or underneaththe cargo deck 12, and thus, the cargo deck can be used for stackingover cargo that may not be readily stacked in a shipping vehicle becauseof the nature or configuration of the cargo, such as, for example, cargothat is likely to be damaged, broken and/or crushed if stacked such as,for example, valuables, dishes, glassware and other glass items, plants,bushes, trees, food items, etc.

Further, the cargo deck 12 in accordance with the illustrated embodimentcan be readily constructed in the shipping vehicle without the need forany tools. Also, the braces 20 tend to be inexpensive to manufacture andthus disposable and the first and second elongated supports 22 and 24also tend to be inexpensive and readily reusable. Thus, such componentsdo not need to be recovered after use or tracked during shipment.Therefore, the cargo deck in accordance with the illustrated embodimentprovides a efficient and inexpensive manner for storing cargo in ashipping vehicle.

The lateral flaps 52 of each brace 20 reduce, if not eliminate, thepossibility that the brace will roll over as a result of the a shearingstress applied by the first elongated support 22 in either direction.The lateral flaps 52 similarly reduce, if not eliminate, the possibilitythat the brace 20 will roll back in response to a shearing stressapplied by the first elongated support 22 in a back direction. Further,the lateral flaps 52 provide additional surface area for the adhesive 58and thus additional surface area for engaging the walls 30 of theshipping vehicle. The gussets 54 add strength and rigidity to thereceptacle and also transfer to the lateral flaps 52 any shearing forcecaused by the first elongated support 22. The ribs 96 included in thereceptacle 40 also add strength thereto in a cost effective manner.

While embodiments have been illustrated and described in the drawingsand foregoing description, such illustrations and descriptions areconsidered to be exemplary and not restrictive in character, it beingunderstood that only illustrative embodiments have been shown anddescribed and that all changes and modifications that come in the spiritof the disclosure are desired to be protected. The description andfigures are intended as illustrations of embodiments of the disclosure,and are not intended to be construed as having or implying limitation ofthe disclosure to those embodiments.

There are a plurality of advantages of the present disclosure arisingfrom various features set forth in the description. It will be notedthat alternative embodiments of the disclosure may not include all ofthe features described yet still benefit from at least some of theadvantages of such features. Those of ordinary skill in the art mayreadily devise their own implementations of the disclosure andassociated methods, without undue experimentation, that incorporate oneor more of the features of the disclosure and fall in the spirit andscope of the present disclosure and the appended claims.

1. A method of making a deck for storing cargo in a shipping vehiclecomprising: (a) securing a pair of braces to a pair of opposed surfacesassociated with the shipping vehicle by engaging opposed ends of a firstelongated support with the pair of braces such that the first elongatedsupport interconnects the pair of braces and extends substantiallyparallel to a base associated with the shipping vehicle; (b) engaging apair of second elongated supports with the pair of braces, each secondelongated support interconnecting a respective one of the braces and thebase; and (c) positioning a decking on the first elongated support forsupporting the cargo.
 2. The method of claim 1 further including: (d)securing an other pair of braces to the pair of opposed surfaces byengaging opposed ends of an other first elongated support with the otherpair of braces such that the other first elongated support interconnectsthe other pair of braces and extends substantially parallel to the base;(e) engaging an other pair of second elongated support with the otherpair of braces, each of the other second elongated supportsinterconnecting a respective brace of the other pair of braces and thebase; and (f) positioning the decking on the other first elongatedsupport.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein (b) includes disposing an endof each second elongated support in a slot defined by the respectivebrace.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein (b) includes disposing an end ofeach second elongated support in a slot defined by a pair of rails ofthe respective brace.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein (b) includesdisposing an end of each second elongated support in a slot defined by apair of parallel rails of the respective brace.
 6. The method of claim 1wherein (b) includes engaging an end of each second elongated supportwith a pair of rails of the respective brace, the rails of eachrespective brace extending parallel to each other along an entire heightof the brace and defining a slot receiving the end of the respectivesecond elongated support.
 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the engagingof (a) includes disposing each opposed end of the first elongatedsupport in a cavity defined by a receptacle of the respective brace. 8.The method of claim 7 wherein (b) includes disposing an end of eachsecond elongated support in a slot defined by the receptacle of therespective brace.